2002-03 Annual R eport 2002-03 Annual R eport - Australian Sports ...

No blues for New South Wales. Steve Waugh relished the chance to lead his state to its 43rd domestic first-class title. New South Wales became the first side to win the
domestic double in a season since 1993-94, when the Blues also achieved the feat.
PURA CUP, 2002-03
New South Wales won its first domestic first-class title since
1993-94 when it secured the Pura Cup by comprehensively
outplaying an under-strength Queensland at The Gabba in
March 2003.
The success, which completed a domestic double with the ING
Cup secured a month earlier, was yet another triumph to savour
for captain Stephen Waugh, and he played a significant part in
its achievement. Following the Ashes triumph against England,
he returned to state duty in late January. New South Wales won
three of its last four matches, a run of form that saw it pip
Victoria for a place in the final.
Waugh’s own form with the bat was equally impressive. He
scored 659 runs in seven Pura Cup matches, including a careerbest
211 against Victoria. Those runs helped persuade him to
play on at Test level as he made himself available to lead the
side in the West Indies.
But New South Wales’ success was hardly a one-man show.
Michael Clarke and Michael Slater both topped 700 runs, while
in Stuart MacGill the Blues had the leading wicket-taker in the
competition as he claimed 48 wickets from 10 matches.
Equally important was the contribution of newcomer Simon
Katich, in his first season in Sydney after switching from
Western Australia. Katich scored 619 runs and also took 19
wickets at minimal cost with his left-arm wrist spin.
Brett Lee was briefly influential, regaining his Test spot after
claiming 21 wickets in two matches. Stuart Clark (30) and Don
Nash (26) were also among the wickets and with Michael Bevan,
Mark Waugh and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin all topping 400
runs, New South Wales bore the formidable look of years gone by.
Queensland reached the final on the back of its impressive pace
attack as Michael Kasprowicz, Joe Dawes and Ashley Noffke
shared 127 wickets between them. In the end, however, the
91
absence of key players Matthew Hayden, Jimmy Maher and
Andrew Symonds on World Cup duty, plus an injury to Stuart
Law, stretched its batting resources too thin in the final and
New South Wales capitalised. Nevertheless Clinton Perren
(693 runs) and Lee Carseldine (658 runs) could be proud of
their seasons.
Victoria coach David Hookes identified the Bushranger’s failure
to win more than once away from home as the key factor behind
the side’s inability to finish in the top two places. However,
despite that disappointment, the side made significant progress
after finishing next to bottom of the ladder the previous year.
Jason Arnberger returned to near his best form and Matthew
Elliott and Brad Hodge also passed 500 runs. Mick Lewis
finished as the side’s leading wicket-taker, leg-spinner
Cameron White made encouraging progress, and Victoria
unearthed a tearaway fast-bowler called Shane Harwood who
took 28 wickets in seven matches, including a hat-trick against
Tasmania.
South Australia, in Greg Chappell’s last season as state coach,
could boast the two leading run-scorers in the competition in
Greg Blewett and David Fitzgerald, as well as 651 runs from
Mark Higgs, newly arrived from New South Wales. But without a
cutting edge in its attack it took 20 wickets in a match just three
times. There were individual successes for Western Australia,
with Chris Rogers and Michael Clark impressing, but it
struggled in the face of international calls and also lacked
bowling depth. Tasmania finished bottom of the ladder for the
second year in a row, although it was encouraging to see fastbowler
Damien Wright, previously dogged by injury, play in nine
of its matches, claiming 32 wickets.
P ura Cup, 2002-03